SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ATLANTA'S JOHN MARSHALL LAW SCHOOL UNDER THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

TITLE III COVERAGE AND FINDING

4. The Attorney General is responsible for administrating and enforcing title III of the ADA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12181-12189, and the relevant regulations implementing title III, 29 C.F.R. Part 36.

5. Under title III of the ADA, no person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation may discriminate against an individual on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodation of a place of public accommodation. 42 U.S.C. § 12182(a).

6. AJM Law is a private university with its principal location at 1422 W. Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

7. AJM Law is a private entity within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 12181(6) and 28 C.F.R. § 36.104; a public accommodation within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 12181(7) and 28 C.F.R. § 36.104; and a place of education within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. § 12181(7)(J) and 28 C.F.R. § 36.104.

8. Prospective students wishing to attend AJM Law must submit an application, undergraduate and international transcripts, letters of recommendation, scores from the Law School Admission Test ("LSAT"), and an application fee, among other requirements. All of these requirements may be completed through the use of the Law School Admission Council's ("LSAC") Credential Assembly Service.

9. AJM Law requires that transcripts and letters of recommendation be submitted through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. The electronic application and ability to pay the application fee are included in the registration for the required LSAC Credential Assembly Service.

10. LSAC's electronic application forms are inaccessible to prospective blind students; they cannot be navigated with conventional screen access software. The inaccessibility of LSAC's electronic application form means that blind applicants cannot take advantage of LSAC's "Common Information Form," bundling of application into the required LSAC Credential Assembly Service, or online payment of the application fee.

11. AJM Law's only alternative is a downloadable application that cannot be completed electronically; must be printed and mailed or e-mailed to the law school. In addition, use of AJM Law's non-preferred application method signals to applicants that their application may not be given equal consideration and may communicate their vision impairment to members of the selection committee.

12. The application process as it exists denies blind students the ability to apply to AJM Law independently and on an equal basis with others, in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 12182(a) and 28 C.F.R. §§ 36.201-202.

13. By separate agreement between LSAC and the National Federation of the Blind, LSAC has agreed to make its electronic application process accessible to blind individuals for the Fall 2012 application cycle. Full and equal access means blind students will have access to the same information, the same interactions, and the same services with substantially equivalent ease of use.